Slayers Dawn never watched
by Hatteress
Summary: Various oneshots across various fandoms. Prompted by the question - if Dawn had become a watcher, who would be her slayer?
1. Fleur Delacour

I claim no ownership of the characters/settings within.

Feel free to recommend possible slayers :)

--

FLEUR DELACOUR of the Harry Potter novels.

Werewolf bites were notoriously brutal. They had a way of destroying not just skin and flesh but lives as well. Dawn had seen it happen – had seen families fall apart, relationships end. So many times the newly turned gave up – choosing a sixty floor drop, a silver blade or a bullet over a life suddenly deemed too difficult. She didn't think Bill Weasley was going to be one of them though. From the look of it his family would rather walk through fire than abandon him. As for relationships...well...

Dawn glanced across the hospital wing to where Fleur sat poised as ever on the edge of her fiancé's hospital bed, her hands cradling one of Bill's larger ones in a tender grip.

No one, not even Mrs Weasley who Dawn had heard had been dedicatedly cynical about her future daughter in law's feelings for her son, could now say Fleur was not absolutely devoted to Bill. It was amazing what a vengeance killing could do to appease doubt.

Fleur had been called not long following her final exams at Beaubuxtons. When Dawn had finally tracked her down it was to find a stunningly beautiful and just as stunningly resolute slayer. When the situation had been explained Dawn had been surprised when the offer to come to the London Slayer institute had been accepted so quickly. It was the training that had prompted Fleur's move to wizarding London and not 'too improve her Eenglish' as was so often claimed. The job working at Gringotts had been her idea also. Just because she was now a Slayer, she said, did not mean she intended on giving up her world.

Dawn had been there the day Fleur had returned to the institute after meeting Bill Weasley for the first time. She had seen the brilliant, love struck smile first-hand the night after their first date. To her, Bill and Fleur seemed made for each other.

And then the attack...and the aftermath...

It had all come to a head three days following the incursion into Hogwarts. Albus Dumbledore's funeral was forthcoming, Hogwarts was repairing its wards, Harry Potter's name was once again splashed all over the papers...and amongst all this, Bill Weasley had taken a turn for the worse.

Fleur had called her in tears and Dawn had hopped a train to Hogsmeade that same day.

When she'd arrived Fleur had promptly thrown herself into her arms.

If there was perhaps one thing Dawn had had the most trouble getting used to concerning Fleur Delacour it was her penchant for the dramatic. At first it had annoyed her – the way the girl swept through life like a spotlight was on her and a camera rolling. Eventually though she came to accept it as just the way Fleur was. And despite the little hissy fits, the sometimes haughty comments and the perpetually ridiculous accent Dawn had come to love her Slayer. Fleur was perhaps the most genuine person Dawn knew. When you were in her heart you were in it forever.

This was perhaps why Dawn could understand that what was happening to Bill was tearing the girl up inside.

It had taken some pointed credential-flashing before she was told anything and then the news wasn't good. Bill's body had begun to fight the poison trying to penetrate his tissue and seemed intent on succeeding no matter the cost. His own immune system was killing him.

They needed the werewolf that had bitten him, they were told. They'd needed Greyback. There was no turning back from what Bill was now becoming – their only hope for saving his life was to flood his system with the poison invading it – let the werewolf virus win.

Predictably this had caused a bit of an uproar. Bill's mother especially had been very vocal about exploring 'alternatives' until calmed by her husband – her outcries turning into broken sobbing. Dawn hadn't noticed Fleur's silence beside her, not until the girl let go of her supportive hand and stood. Dawn had watched, her trepidation rising, as Fleur crossed through the chaos of wizarding doctors and relatives to stand by Bill's bedside. Bending down, the girl had smoothed a lock of hair from his forehead as she whispered in his ear before placing a gentle kiss where her fingertips had skimmed a moment before. The look she'd settled on Dawn as she turned around was undiluted slayer.

"We don't know where he'd be," Dawn had said, already knowing the protest was futile. Whether it was something in her voice or just the vibes rolling off her slayer, all conversation stopped and all eyes were on Fleur as the girl had cocked her head and smiled a feral smile Faith would have been proud of.

"But we can find out."

--

It had become apparent early on that locator spells were going to be useless. Greyback was under Voldemort's protection, and as such very little could touch him magically. It had been a setback sure, but not a major one. As Willow always taught – magic only made things easier – there's always another way, often more satisfying in the long run. As Dawn had watched Fleur put her fifth demon through a wall while 'questioning' it she couldn't help but think the slayer would have agreed with the sentiment.

In the end it took them a little over six hours to track the warewolf's den. Protection from magic was all well and good but Greyback was still a werewolf – still leaving ripples in the demonic population of London. And pain was an amazing motivational tool however you looked at it.

The clash with Greyback's pack was short, brutal and bloody. A pack of former wizards, the wolves had been prepared for a magical assault if any – being faced with a stunningly pretty blonde slayer wielding an axe and her tranquiliser gun-toting watcher had made them pause, which was just enough to make them dead or unconscious. Greyback himself was the hardest to fell. It had taken three darts and a lopped off arm before he went down.

Dawn didn't think she'd ever forget the looks on Bill's family's faces when they'd strode through the doors to the hospital wing, Greyback's bulk slung over one of Fleur's shoulders like a bag of rice. Actually she didn't think she'd ever want to. Sometimes the slayer gig proved wildly entertaining and there was nothing like shocking the locals to add a bit of fun to the mix.

If Fleur had thought anything of her blown cover she hadn't said anything. Her time since their return had been faithfully spent at Bill's side, watching as his breathing evened out and his colour returned. Watching as the man she loved came back to her albeit a little changed from the one she once knew.

It was a good sight. Perhaps not the perfect ending – knowing the trials Bill was to face, Dawn could never call it thus – but it was enough for now.


	2. Jessica Moore

Jess - of the show Supernatural

* * *

Jess re-arranged the cookies and propped the note against the pile with a small smile at her sappiness. 'Missed you. Love you.' God even she didn't know how she didn't gag on her own sweetness sometimes. Lord only knew how Sam put up with it.

Sam. Just the thought of him had her smiling all over again. God she really was hopeless. But then in some ways she kind of liked that - how the thought of him could send a tingle through her belly and make her mind go a little fuzzy. She loved the way he could hug her and she could forget for a moment how insane her life was - or rather how insane it had become.

_Are you ready to be strong?_

It was amazing the sort of change six words could inflict. Three years ago Jess had been an ordinary girl. A freshy at college, she had thought her only problems in life were going to be getting used to her classes and trying to get the cute guy in psych to notice her. Vampires had never factored into the equation.

Neither had Dawn Summers.

Dawn had arrived at Stamford with three suitcases and a whole heap of answers. Until she'd turned up Jess had been slowly working her way into hysteria. If the nightmares and the strength weren't bad enough - the instinct to hunt - to be out on the street at night had been driving her to exhaustion. She hadn't been sleeping and it had been taking its toll, on her health and her marks. Ironically the day she'd finally met Dawn was also the day she'd met Sam. She'd been eyeing him for weeks before she'd changed - trying to get up the courage to introduce herself. Once the nightmares started though, the cute boy in psych had sort of taken a back seat to working out why she could now break the handles off doors if she wasn't being careful. In the end, the day they'd first spoken had been on his instigation.

She'd been struggling in her lecture again, trying to keep her eyes open after another night of no rest. She didn't remember falling asleep but she certainly remembered jerking awake at the touch on her arm.

"Sorry," Sam had said quietly. "Professor Nimis is glaring."

Sure enough when she'd glanced down the front the Lecturer had been shooting her dirty looks as he carried on about the signs of post traumatic stress. Jess could still remember the feel of her face going hot as she sat up a little straighter in her seat and smiled a sheepish thanks to the boy she'd been in heavy crush mode over for a good four weeks. She'd told him later how much of an idiot she'd felt. Sam had always grinned innocently and replied 'Oh but the snoring was so cute...'.

Later that night, when sleep had again proved fruitless, Jess had slipped out of her dorm for another night of pointless wondering and run straight into Dawn on her front steps.

"Thing about new slayers," she'd said, "They suck at managing the new sleeping cycle."

Dawn had since told her she'd taken the news better than most. Jess had secretly figured the lack of sleep had slowed her reactions. She'd listened calmly as Dawn explained about slayers and demons and destiny. She'd learned about the watchers council and its new strategy. Her tuition, her housing and all her expenses were paid for. In return she was to undergo training and guidance in her new powers - learn to understand and use them. What happened after that, Dawn said, was up to her. She could take or leave the slaying gig. There were enough slayers in the world now that it was possible.

Dawn had left her that night with her decision and she's spent another sleepless night staring at her bedroom ceiling, this time for a completely different reason. In the end the decision had come down to, not the money (though not having to work 50 hours a week in Joe's cafe would be a bonus) but the fact that Dawn said she could help her understand and adapt to the changes she was going through. She could help her sleep.

Three years later and Jess was about to graduate college, was dating the guy of her dreams and was more comfortable in her own skin than she'd ever felt. Most of this, she felt, was owed to Dawn. Dawn herself always laughed her off whenever she said anything. In the end it had been Dawn who did the majority of Jess' training. After her initial mission of finding Jess had been completed she'd opted to stay in school in Stamford and get a degree, meanwhile keeping an eye on things on the east coast and helping Jess to get used to her powers. She and Dawn had become fast friends very quickly and up until six months ago when she and Sam had decided to move in together, had been sharing a flat just off campus.

Yes, she thought, heading through to the bedroom, life was good.

In retrospect it was probably all her fault for tempting fate.

* * *

Dawn snapped the fridge shut with a huff. The shitty thing about living alone – she had no one else to blame when all the orange juice was gone. She missed the days of yelling through the house, rousing on her sister, or a slayerette or two. Never Jess though – Jess was one of those beautiful people who always managed to buy more before Dawn got to the empty container, no matter what time of day or night, no matter who's fault it was that it was gone. And not once had she ever complained, the darling.

It really was sickening sometimes how nice the girl could be – though it didn't stop Dawn loving her slayer to pieces.

Her Slayer. Dawn smiled as she headed into the lounge, glass of milk in hand. It had a rather nice ring to it. She'd gotten the call earlier that evening – Giles himself on the other end of the line offering his congratulations and telling her the council had finally decided (read: convinced Buffy) to grant her full watcher status. Jess was to be her first charge – the first of many Giles had hinted. She'd heard rumours actually (read: had Willow babbling excitedly to her on the phone) that Giles had wanted to train her up as a sector co-ordinator. Eventually, she'd been told, he wanted her in charge of the whole of the east coast – watchers and slayers.

Dawn didn't quite know what to think of that one. On one hand it was nice to think she was finally being allowed a little responsibility for a change – a chance to fight the good fight and prove herself. On the other...well, she'd never really relished being stuck behind a desk, no matter how big and polished it was likely to be. She'd enjoyed her time in Stamford, with Jess. The two of them getting their hands dirty patrolling and training together. It felt good to get out and just...well, kill a few things.

Jess had often reflected Dawn's childhood had had a detrimental effect on her adult life if it was driving her to violence. Given the girl had said this while ripping the head off a Vorak demon with her bare hands at the time Dawn didn't really feel guilty about not taking it to heart.

Throwing herself down on the couch – Dawn reached for the remote to un-pause her self-imposed Lord of the Rings movie marathon. Geek-ness thy name is Key.

That's about when the wards started clanging. The wards for Jess' place.

* * *

Jess hummed as she turned on the water – checking the temperature quickly before adjusting the taps. Sam always complained about her scalding hot taste in showers but Jess tended to shrug it off – unlike most things her penchant for hot water had existed before her slayer-ness had kicked in. In some ways it was nice to know she'd had a little freakishness that was hers from the start.

Her robe was halfway to the floor when she felt it. A presence in the bedroom. Something very not-human. Swearing lightly she did a quick sweep of the bathroom for something that wasn't going to fall off her at the first sign of violence – fighting naked may have worked for other, more dark-haired, tattooed slayers – not mentioning names of course– but she didn't much relish it herself.

The presence shifted and somehow...intensified...however that worked. Not a good sign. Her slayer-senses were practically doing the can-can. Whatever it was in her bedroom, it wasn't going to be nice.

For lack of any other option Jess swiped up the ridiculously short, satin and very thin nighty she'd chosen to wear to bed in case Sam happened to arrive back sometime during the night. Damn her hormones. Even her smurf ensemble would have been preferable fighting wear.

Wrapping her robe back around her in what she just knew was going to be a futile effort, Jess stealthily palmed her hair straightener, wrapping the cord around one wrist as she approached the door.

The figure with its back to her in the middle of her bedroom surprised her. For all intents and purposes he looked like a man. Albeit a strange cloaked man but still...

The feeling he was giving off though...Jess had a feeling looks were definitely deceiving in this particular instance.

"You know, I don't much like intruders in my house," she said lowly, tightening the cord around her wrist.

She watched as the figure in front of her cocked its head slightly before turning. It was then that she saw his eyes.

"It's okay," said the yellow-eyed demon. "I won't be here long."

And then he raised his hand – and everything was pain.

* * *

Dawn hit the lobby of Jess and Sam's apartment building at a dead run, not even bothering with the ancient elevator as she pelted for the stairs.

A grade 5 incursion Willow had dubbed it. The only thing strong enough to set off the wards so completely and loudly was a higher level demon – something roughly on par with the First itself.

Shit shit shit...

There'd been no signs! No warning of this. Generally when you became the target of something this big there were hints – minions sent against you, strange portents and threats. But there'd been nothing – no indication of a big bad's focus on them at all.

Dawn gritted her teeth as she hit Jess' floor and pelted through the stair-access. Please let her be okay...

Some part of her knew this was stupid. Running head-long into danger was not logical, especially when that danger was something that would make Buffy herself pause in the charge. But this was Jess. This was her slayer. HER slayer.

There was no time for logic.

Dawn hit the apartment door with a resounding bang and a slight splintering noise before hauling back once more and delivering a kick that popped the lock and caused the door to fall back with an almighty crash. It was one thing she was glad she'd made Jess implement. A strong door wasn't going to keep anything likely to be coming after her out anyway – it was just going to get in the way of Dawn-shaped help arriving on the scene quickly.

Stepping through the wreckage Dawn reached behind her and slid her sword free from its sheath. She and Jess had named it Barney because it glowed purple in candlelight sometimes – it was her weapon of choice nowadays and had saved her life more than once.

A thump followed by Jess' cry of pain was all the direction she needed and it was three strides before she was in the bedroom. The sight before her made her freeze a moment.

Jess, the girl she'd watched disembowel a giant alligator demon with a pen-knife just a week ago, was pinned helpless to the wall, a stain of red spreading across her stomach. Four feet in front of her, his hand extended, was the cause of the ward's disturbance. A man he seemed, dressed all in black – but even Dawn could feel the darkness coming off him.

Blinking slightly Dawn focused. Willow had been giving her lessons much to Buffy's discontent. It turned out Dawn had quite the potential for magic – hardly surprising given her origins. Dawn focused now and looked again at the figure – looked into it.

She promptly wished she hadn't.

"It's rude to stare," the demon suddenly said, turning towards her, a smirk splitting his face below his yellow eyes.

Dawn swallowed.

"What do you want?" she asked pointedly, all too aware of Jess panting in pain on the wall beyond the demon.

The demon cocked his head at her question.

"Ah...ah yes I see now..." Chuckling he glanced back at Jess. "It's really nothing personal. I just have someone who needs a little push is all."

Nothing personal? Nothing personal? What the hell?

"Well see – that's my slayer you have pinned to a wall there – so I have so say, this is very personal," she said with a growl and promptly reached into herself and threw quite a large shock of crackling green energy at him.

It wasn't a huge attack – it wasn't really meant to be. But Dawn had worked out early on that the technique worked wonders for distracting something long enough to manoeuvre.

This time was no different.

The demon threw his arms up as the ball of green hit its target, crackling across the demon's shell for a moment before being absorbed. The grin on his face as he lowered his arms was one of pleasant surprise.

"Well well, how interesting," he said.

Dawn knew what he meant. It was the unique thing about pulling her power from within herself – she didn't tip anyone or anything else off by dragging energy from her surrounds. It came in handy in situations like these, when she needed the element of surprise.

"And here I'd thought you'd disappeared," the demon said, looking her up and down. Dawn's eyes widened. On the other hand it also revealed a hell of a lot more about herself than she was strictly comfortable with. Obviously enough this time to give her away. Oh. Shit.

Before she could move the demon threw his hand up and Dawn suddenly found herself airborne.

* * *

Jess watched as Dawn slammed into the dresser hard, shards of glass raining down around her as she toppled lifelessly to the ground.

No. No please...

It was about then Jess realised she could move. The demon's attention was elsewhere and for a split second he'd let his power slip. Jess didn't think. With a feral yell she launched herself at the demon as he advanced on Dawn, tackling him to the side and causing both of them to lose their balance.

She'd insisted when she and Sam were looking at apartments that they get one with large windows. It was a request borne not of her slayer instincts but rather something she just liked to have. Natural light was a lovely thing to come home to.

Crashing through one and falling two stories grappling with a demon was something she'd never taken into account.

* * *

Sam opened the door with its customary creak and climbed out of the Impala. It felt stupid – feeling this guilty for returning to a life he knew he deserved. Still...he supposed that's what family was for – the day his father or brother supported a decision he'd made was the day he'd keel over in shock.

Sam sighed and turned back, leaning through the window.

"You'll call if you find him?" he said.

The nod Dean gave was typical of the situation.

"Maybe I can meet up with you later hey?" he asked, kicking himself a second later for even trying. He watched as Dean opened his mouth, no doubt to force a tense reply but it never came – the resounding crash of breaking glass behind them pulled both brother's attention to the front of the apartment building.

Sam only dimly registered Dean swearing and scrambling out of the car behind him, his attention squarely on the pair tumbling two stories from the broken window – his broken window. It took him a moment to realise it – about the same amount of time it took to recognise Jess' long blonde hair.

"No!"

He was running before he knew what he was doing, already knowing he was never going to get there in time. He watched helplessly as the pair – Jess and a man he didn't recognise – grappled and twisted in mid-air before both slammed into the ground. The force of the hit knocked them apart and Sam hit the curb at a bolt, a second later falling to his knees next to Jess' unmoving form.

"Jess? Oh god, please..." He choked, his voice desperate.

"S-sam?"

Sam very nearly choked on his relief. A second later he almost choked on his surprise as Jess rolled over, climbing to her feet with little aid from him as though she'd just taken a tumble off the path.

"Jess, maybe you shouldn't-" Sam started, watching her for signs of pain before Dean's voice suddenly cut off his words.

"Sam!" He growled, gruff and warning. It was a tone Sam knew well and when he looked to his brother standing off to his side it took him only a second to follow Dean's glare.

The man who'd taken the tumble with Jess had obviously suffered even less than her if his straight and easy stance were anything to go by – this wasn't the worrying thing however. It was the smirk...and the eyes. Almost unconsciously Sam tried to pull Jess behind him only to find her immovable. He was about to tell her to get back when the demon snickered.

"Well well – Sam and Dean. So good of you to join us," it said and something in its voice sent a shiver down Sam's spine. To his horror, before he could respond, Jess was suddenly in front of him – glaring daggers at the demon.

"You leave them the hell out of this," she growled – actually growled. Even Sam felt like taking a step back. Opposite them the demon threw back its head and laughed.

"Oh they were well and truly involved already don't you worry," it said almost triumphantly and it was in that moment Sam knew who the demon was.

"You..." he said lowly and the demon's eyes flicked to him with a wicked glint.

"I see you've worked things out Sam – you always were the smart one," it said with an almost proud grin before its gaze ticked back to Jess with a calculated gleam. "Though I have to say, your choice in trim is a little...troublesome."

"You should see his choice in friends," a new voice chimed in and Sam's head whipped around in shock to find Dawn Summers taking a limping step down from his apartment building's entrance. He had only a moment to register her bloodied face before, faster than he could move, Jess was suddenly lunging at the demon.

"No!"

He watched as the demon swiftly raised its hand, palm outwards but, seemingly anticipating the move and with inhuman speed, Jess ducked under it. The series of blows she landed following had Sam's mind in a spin and he only realised Dean was holding him back when the demon, seemingly little fazed by an attack that would have felled a pro wrestler, finally landed a solid hit back on Jess that had her reeling – though not nearly as much as she should have. Sam watched as Jess fell back and the demon followed – seeming to be almost stalking her.

"Come now – that was just a tap – don't tell me the slayer's running," he taunted. Jess took another two faulting steps back before suddenly straightening surely.

"Don't be daft," she said. "I just needed time for her to get behind you."

The demon's eyes widened in realisation at the same time as the sword blade exploded from his chest. For a full second he stood, staring down at it before he turned around to face his attacker.

Sam had met Dawn through Jess. They'd become friends fairly quickly mostly due to their shared love of being ridiculously bookish at times. She'd helped him study for his Ancient History elective and he'd helped Jess carry her home one night when she'd got too drunk to walk...or stand. She was perhaps the sweetest person he knew next to Jess.

And now here she was shoving a sword through the back of a demon.

Sam watched as the demon sighed at her.

"Did you really think that was going to work?" it asked mockingly.

Sam watched, half in awe as the girl merely cocked her head at the denizen of hell.

"Nope. I was thinking this would though," she said before muttering something Sam didn't catch. Very suddenly there was a flash of green and Sam had to shield his eyes. When he lowered his arm the demon was gone and Dawn was on the ground groaning.

"Oh I hate hate HATE doing that," she moaned, sounding for all the world like she was going to be sick.

"Dawn!"

The desperation in Jess' voice as she fell to her knees next to her friend would have matched Sam's if he'd been able to make his tongue work. What in the hell had just happened?

"I'm okay...I'm okay..."

"You used your blood. Your blood Dawn!"

Sam watched as Dawn winced at Jess' tone.

"Agh, I know. Willow's going to kill me," Dawn grimaced, her head falling into her hands.

"Well she can join the god-damn cue! Dawn what were you thinking! He could have-"

"He knew Jess," Dawn cut her off, her voice tired. Sam would have had to have been blind to miss the fear behind that one statement. Jess' reaction only compounded it.

"W-what? But that...shit! Oh we are in such crap..."

"No kidding," Dean's voice cut in beside him and Sam readily recognised the tone. Glancing at his brother he was unsurprised to see his handgun drawn and aimed. Dean was just that sort of guy – see something unfamiliar – point a gun at it. Jess' reaction however, like most everything about her that night, startled him. He watched as her eyes narrowed before she shifted pointedly in front of Dawn, seeming to slide into a rather cat-like crouch almost automatically.

"You really, really do not want to do that," she growled.

Dean's reply could have come from the Winchester handbook.

"Oh I think I do – at least until someone tells me what the hell is going on-"

"Dean!" Sam cut him off, all of a sudden very sick of the situation. He'd never really done well with confusion. "Put the damn gun away – it's not helping. Jess, Dawn – are you both okay?"

He would have had to have been made of stone to miss the way Jess froze up when he spoke. It was Dawn who spoke up, her hand coming to rest on Jess' shoulder in front of her – as if trying to reassure her.

"We're fine," she said clearly.

"Good – then I propose we move this inside," he said, distantly surprised at how calm he sounded. Inside he seemed to be screaming – part of him wanting to crush Jess to him and never let go while another wanted to hold her down and demand explanations...

It was all just...too much.

He watched in a detached sort of way as Jess helped Dawn to stand before half carrying her towards the doors. The hand that stopped him as he made to follow was hardly surprising.

"Sam-" Dean started, his tone growling with warning. Sam never let him finish.

"Inside Dean – we can find out what the hell happened inside."

Dean glared at him a moment before holstering his weapon with a huff.

"Fine – but if we get killed by your psycho demonic girlfriend and her sidekick it's your damn fault."

Sam would have cracked a smile then...if only the truth behind Dean's insult hadn't been plausible.

Two hours and a lot of explanations later he was wondering if he wouldn't have preferred the demonic angle.

"So. Slayers," Dean turned to him. "Why haven't we heard of this?"

Sam could only shrug, his eyes on the floor. He hadn't been able to meet Jess' gaze since she'd explained who...what she was. A slayer – mankind's last defence against the forces of evil. Sam wasn't sure if he wanted to pass out or throw up. This was Jess. Jess who baked, who wore smurf t-shirts to bed...this couldn't be happening.

"Actually," Dawn spoke up. "It's not surprising you haven't heard of the Slayer – up until a little while ago it was the one girl in all the world deal."

"One girl against all this?" Dean scoffed, gesturing at the bedroom where glass could be seen littering the floor. "That's sick."

"Yeah it was," Dawn agreed. "But not anymore. Now we stand together – now we have support."

"I didn't see much support while little miss Slayer here was smashing through the bedroom window," Dean said and Sam looked up to see Dawn bristling a bit.

"Well yes, but ordinarily we're given a bit more warning that a big player is on our tail," she said. "Slayer's aren't usually the collateral damage – they're usually the target."

At this Dawn's eyes narrowed and her gaze switched between Sam and his brother.

"Which by the way, begs the question. What the hell did that demon want with you guys? It's quite obvious that the supernatural world isn't coming as a surprise to you two."

"Yeah, about that..." Dean started and Sam recognised the tone of avoidance in his voice. Well screw that.

"That demon tonight – it killed our mother," he said bluntly, ignoring Dean's warning growl. "I was a baby, Dean was five. After that our dad brought us up as hunters. He's been tracking the thing since."

"A hunting trip," Jess said suddenly and Sam couldn't stop himself in time before his eyes swung to hers. The worried look on her face was both familiar and painful. "You said your dad was on a hunting trip. Did you find him?"

Sam shook his head and dropped his gaze.

"He wasn't there," Dean explained. "And now with this demon reappearing again....I don't like it."

"Well I can call Giles, get him to get a research team onto things-" Dawn started, sitting forward.

"This isn't your fight," Dean said sharply but Jess cut anything else off with a growl.

"This is Sam!" she said, her voice hard and Sam couldn't help but look up. The look of fierce determination on Jess' face as she glared at his brother was one he didn't think he was ever going to forget. "If you think I'm going to sit idly by while he takes on this bastard you have another thing coming."

It was in that moment he realised. The secrets, the fights and the darkness – none of it mattered. What he and Jess had was real – all in all this probably just meant they were more suited to each other than either of them had first thought. It was going to take work – and a lot of long conversations – but he wasn't giving up on this – and if the stubbornness in her voice was anything to go by neither was Jess.

He watched as Dean seemed to assess the girl...the Slayer before him before nodding.

"Fair enough, we can probably use you."

Jess snorted before turning her gaze back to Sam who offered a slight smile. A few of the shadows fell from her features as she smiled tentatively back.

Dawn sighed as she got to her feet, heading for the phone.

"I should have known evil demons and death weren't enough to stop you two making eyes at each other."

Sam just smiled wider as Dean groaned.


	3. Sarah Williams

SARAH of the movie The Labyrinth

* * *

Dawn leaned forward and laid her cards out on the dusty stair before her.

"Two pair," she said triumphantly.

A moment later her companion shattered that particular sentiment as he laid down his cards.

"Royal flush," Hoggle said happily and Dawn groaned as he leaned forward and scraped together the pile of rocks they were betting over.

"Dammit why are you so good at this?" Dawn complained and Hoggle grinned.

"Just lucky I guess."

Dawn snorted. Lucky her arse – she just knew the little goblin was cheating she just hadn't worked out how yet. He did this to her every time now – it was part of the reason they no longer played with jewellery and trinkets the way they used to.

"Another hand?" Hoggle asked slyly, shuffling the cards before her and Dawn poked her tongue out at him before stealing a look to the other side of the room where raised voices could be heard.

Jareth and Sarah were still at it – had been for a solid half hour now. Dawn honestly didn't know if she preferred it when they weren't dating. On the one hand the fighting had been way creepier with all the sexual tension flying around but on the other there'd been less causes for her and Dawn to make the trip down here in the first place. It seemed the longer they were together the more protective Jareth seemed to get.

"Go on then," she said, turning back to Hoggle. "They look like they're going to be a while yet."

Dawn sighed as Hoggle dealt, switching her sights to the group next to them. Sir Didymus, Ludo and a number of random goblins were crowded around a small crystal ball watching it's contents intently.

"How's he going?" she asked.

"The vampire has made it as far as the doors my lady," Didymus answered, still watching the orb.

"Cool," Dawn said, picking up the cards newly dealt before her. "Let me know if he ends up in the oubliette."

"Will do my lady..."

"But it's none of your business!" Sarah's voice suddenly rose again across the room and Dawn looked back over to see the girl at the 'all up in your face' part of the fight. Jareth as usual, looked thoroughly entertained and not at all intimidated at the spectacle.

"Ah but my love, everything about you is my business," he said happily.

The first time Dawn had seen the two of them fight she had wondered if the man hadn't had a death wish. He was after all mocking a newly called slayer. After her fourth or fifth however Dawn had come to realise that it was just the pattern the two of them fell to. Sarah was outspoken and stubborn and the King of the Goblins was sarcastic and mocking. In a way they were both as bad as each other – fuelling the fight between them.

"I am a slayer!" Sarah growled. "And as such I have certain responsibilities!"

Dawn watched as Jareth tisked across from her. Sarah had used the 'responsibilities' argument against him before.

"Come now Sarah-"

"No don't you dare come-now-Sarah me!" Sarah interrupted and Dawn sighed right along with Jareth as she turned back to her game of cards.

In a way she was lucky to have made friends of Hoggle and the others. They kept her entertained when watching Jareth and Sarah's fights became tedious. Usually they all sat around and watched the progress of the latest one of Sarah's opponents Jareth had sucked into the Labyrinth. The Remos demon last week had been particularly interesting as he'd tried to eat one of the Firies. She'd heard tell that they were still finding body parts.

This week though she'd opted for a game of cards. The foe running the Labyrinth at the moment was a run of the mill master vampire and so fairly uninteresting. He'd been sucked out of his battle with Sarah fairly early on too which meant he had no real embarrassing injuries to speak of. Sarah tended to fight dirty.

"Hit me," she said distractedly to Hoggle, trashing two of her cards.

She wondered if one day the Goblin King would give up on this little crusade of his. It seemed ever since Sarah had been called he'd been consistently watching over her shoulder for danger. This wouldn't have been such a bad thing except the glittery wonder felt the need to step in every time Sarah got a hang nail. The vampire in the maze constituted the fourteenth of her master opponents he'd kidnapped mid-throw down in an effort to keep harm from his now-girlfriend.

"You cannot protect me from everything!" Sarah screamed across the room and Dawn looked over in time to see Jareth puff up indignantly before her.

"I darling, am King of the Goblins," he said haughtily. "I think you'll find I can."

Dawn rolled her eyes. In many ways the situation was bloody hilarious. But in others she couldn't help but think Buffy had got her wish about Dawn becoming a watcher. She really couldn't have been put with a less dangerous assignment.

"Ah ha!" Didymus suddenly shouted, drawing everyone's attention. "The vampire is in the oubliette!"

Dawn sighed, getting to her feet and dusting her pants off as Sarah swore once more at Jareth across the room before joining her – palming a stake as she went.

"Ready?" Dawn asked her stormy slayer. Sarah nodded sharply.

"Lets go finish this bitch," she growled before shouting over her shoulder. "Don't you dare think I'm done with you yet either!"

Dawn watched as Jareth smirked happily behind them.

"Wouldn't dream of it precious."

Sometimes Dawn really could see what irritated Sarah so much.


	4. Jo Harville

_AN: So okay - this chapter is basically me shamelessly letting Faith run the show but what the hey - putting her, Cas and Dean in the same room was just something I couldn't resist ;P_

**Jo Harville (Supernatural)**

* * *

Dean would always remember the moment the apocalypse had turned. For the longest while all he could remember was death and struggle and pain. Darkness after darkness. The Winchesters had seemed destined to scrape through life, draining blood and any chance at happiness behind them.

Then the Slayers happened - or rather a Slayer and a Watcher. Funny that the day of their biggest failure was also the day hope returned to the side of Team Free Will.

* * *

Dean fell, the tearing of claws at his boots all too horrifically familiar as he rolled, trying to put a bit of distance between himself and the invisible Mother trying to repeat history. And then very suddenly Jo was there, emptying round after round into thin air that yelped.

He never saw it coming, obviously - but he heard it. The scrabble of claws and a tell-tale growl as something leaped for Jo's unprotected side.

"Jo!" he yelled, but too late.

The figure that stepped suddenly between the girl and the beast, she certainly wasn't.

Dean watched in shock as the woman, all dark hair and leather swung a sword - a real, live, motherfuckin' sword and suddenly blood was gushing from thin air. The hellhound's pained yelp died in a visceral wet tear. Jo for her part looked as stunned as Dean felt, staring wide-eyed at the woman.

"Gotta watch your back mini-B," the woman grinned, voice dark, rich and obviously high on the fight. Dean didn't even hear the next hound attack - only saw as the woman spun again, arcing another fountain of blood through the air.

"You'll be wanting this," the mystery woman said, unsheathing a…Jesus, a scythe from a strap at her back and tossing it to Jo. Dean watched gob-smacked as Jo, without a thought, dropped her gun and caught the blade like she'd been born to it. The sudden glint in her eye certainly laid credence to the thought and Dean barely had time to process the picture before Jo - little Jo Harville with her tiny pig-sticker - was spinning her new acquisition through the air like she'd been an expert blade fighter all her life.

The hellhounds never stood a chance.

In the end Dean, Sam and Ellen had simply stood back and watched as Jo and the mystery woman obliterated the mutts, seemingly riding on instinct alone. And Dean failed to scrape his jaw off the ground the whole damn time - though Ellen was about the same so he felt mildly better about himself.

When all was said and done, Meg having turned tail - the mystery woman turned to Jo with a huge grin.

"Not bad blondie," she said happily. Jo for her part only seemed to have eyes for the scythe - staring at the thing like it was the friggin' second coming.

"It's…beautiful," the girl said, the awe in her voice palpable.

"Innit?" the woman enthused. "Got it made special. The original's with a sister of mine."

By that point Dean had had enough.

"Okay, not that we're not grateful and all," he said, stepping forward. "But who the hell are you?"

The look the woman turned on him in that moment was as surprising as it was inappropriate. The original glance was flippant until she focused - when she did, all bets were off as her gaze was dragged from head to toe and back again. Dean had been undressed by with a woman's eyes plenty of damn times but never on a freaking battlefield, blood still cooling on the pavement.

The smirk the woman drew was positively illegal.

"For you? Pick a name," she purred - actually freaking purred. Dean's jaw hit the pavement for the second time that day.

"Give it a rest Faith," a new voice suddenly interrupted and Dean turned to see another woman, this one slightly younger and wearing a lot less leather making her way towards them - occasionally skirting a spreading pool of blood.

The dark haired woman - Faith - grinned at the newcomer.

"Late to the party as always D," she said happily and Dean watched as the other woman rolled her eyes.

"I got sidetracked," she said. "Did you know there's a butt-load of reapers hanging 'round here?"

"Wait," Sam suddenly interrupted. "You can see the reapers?"

The newcomer turned her blue gaze on Sam and smiled, suddenly and freely. It was only in seeing it on this new, innocent looking face that Dean realised just how little people actually smiled around him these days.

"You'd be Sam Winchester I'm guessing by the height," she said, her tone welcoming.

"And that makes you big brother," Faith chipped in, her eyes back on Dean. Dean snorted.

"Yep, that's us - famous friggin' Winchesters," he griped only to be cut off as the dark haired Faith scoffed.

"Don't go picking out your Hollywood star just yet Ringo, we're not here for you."

Dean felt his ire rise before the woman turned and fixed her eyes on Jo. Jo who had yet to let go of the damn scythe and who now looked for all the world like a deer in headlights.

"So," Faith said. "Noticed any changes lately Jo?"

* * *

A few hours and a botched attempt at killing the Devil later and the girls found themselves holed up in a ramshackle house surrounded by a junkyard.

Dawn had to admit - of all the universes she and Faith had traveled to in search of rogue sparks of slayer power, this one had to be the most surreal. Because really - Lucifer? Angels? God?

"I bags the surly one," Faith said brashly.

Dawn almost smiled. At least in the face of everything strange Faith always remained the same.

She and Dawn had retreated to a corner of Bobby's living room - leaving the natives to their post-game strategising. Even after everything that had happened it was obvious the Winchesters and crew still didn't entirely trust them. Not that Dawn could blame them. From what little Jo had related of their lives she was surprised they even still had the friends they did.

"You're going to have to be more specific," Dawn said wryly, causing Faith to grin.

"The hot surly one," Faith elaborated and Dawn followed her gaze to the trio of men on the other side of the room. Two Winchesters and an angel. An honest to god angel. This was one weird universe. Dawn cocked her head.

"Again, you're going to have to be more specific," she said, grinning herself when Faith made a noise of agreement.

She knew this game. It was Faith's post fight wind-down. In the absence of sex or a kill the slayer tended to do the next best thing - pursue one or the other. And since Lucifer was long gone…

Dawn wanted to laugh as she recalled Faith's meeting of the Devil.

The moment Faith had learned what the Winchesters' plan was earlier that day she'd jumped on board like drama on Buffy's love-life, all recklessness and dark-haired enthusiasm. What bigger bad was there than Satan after all?

It had been just after Dean Winchester emptied a round into the fallen angel's head and the gang's plan had fallen down around their ears. The horror of the failure hadn't even fully settled on poor Dean's features before Faith had been right there between him and the Devil, grinning up at the evil bastard like she was meeting Brad Pitt.

"Dude," she'd said enthusiastically. "Just gotta say - big fan - HUGE."

And then she'd shoved her scythe through his chest. It had hurt him, that much was obvious - enough for him to turn tail at any rate. Dawn wondered if the real deal might have killed him.

Faith's scythe was a knockoff of Buffy's but by no means a cheap one. Willow had put a whole lot of oomph into creating it and it showed in the reactions of the Slayers that held it. Even so, it didn't quite match the ancient power of the original. Faith didn't seem to mind though - Dawn suspected that after a full Slayer career living in Buffy's shadow she was just glad to have something of her own.

"Dean," Faith said, finally putting a name to her choice and effectively pulling Dawn from her thoughts. "Though I wouldn't mind slicing me off a piece of angel-cake as well," the Slayer purred, eyeing the trench-coated figure. As much as Dawn made fun of Faith's appetite she couldn't help but agree a little in this instance. Castiel, for all he was stuffy and utterly terrifying in his power was also borderline edible.

"I like the tall one," she said absently, eyes tracking over the figure in question. "He seems sweet."

"Not to mention hot," Faith chipped in beside her. "Do you think they even know how to make ugly men in this universe?"

Dawn snorted. She and Faith had seen a lot in their travels. Universe hopping - tracking rogue sparks of Willow's spell through portal after portal. After the world with the sparkly vampires she was halfway ready to accept anything.

"I'm thinking threesome," Faith continued, causing Dawn to roll her eyes. "They look like they'd totally be into it. Hell, I wouldn't even mind just watching…"

"We can HEAR you, you know!" Dean suddenly shouted from across the way and Dawn felt herself pinken as Faith laughed heartily beside her.

"Come on! You know you want to!" the Slayer heckled and Dawn watched in mortification as Castiel turned serious blue eyes on them. There had to be some kind of rule against propositioning an angel of the Lord right? She and Faith were so going to hell.

As she watched Castiel tipped his head slightly, scrutinising Faith in a way that made Dawn shift a little despite herself.

"I…do not think that's physically possible," the angel said seriously and Dawn frowned in confusion. Dean obviously got something she didn't though.

"Cas! Dude! Get out of her head!"

Dawn watched as Faith waggled her eyebrows. Yep - definitely going to hell.


	5. Jessica Stanley

_AN: Oooooh, it's a wonderful day to make fun of Twilight! So again, Faith kinda overtook this one. I just couldn't help it though - after having an epiphany with the previous chapter and deciding that having Dawn and Faith popping in on the Twilight verse would just brighten up my week I went for it._

_This takes place before the previous Jo Harville chapter (y'know, just to confuse you heh) and after the final book in the train-wreck that is the Twilight Saga._

_Flames will be printed out, framed and hung on my hallway wall for me to giggle at as I leave for work._

_Enjoy ;)_

* * *

Dawn had seen some strange stuff. Reality hopping with a sexually charged, formerly evil Slayer would do that to you. But of everything - this had to be the most ridiculous.

They'd known the moment they arrived that the world was a bit wonky. Faith's Slayer powers, already rather considerable, had suddenly quadrupled - leaving the Slayer less a Slayer and more of a Wonder-woman crossed with Super-girl. Of course Faith had had a ball with it - zipping around the place and lifting trucks clean off the ground with one hand.

Dawn had lost count of the number of times she'd rolled her eyes at the dark slayer's antics.

Tracking the newly awakened Slayer that had led them there hadn't been hard. In the end they'd just had to follow the destruction.

Jessica Stanley. The poor girl had had no idea what was going on or how to control her powers. After a Slayer nightmare she'd torn her own house down practically around her ears and so Dawn had decided quickly to send the girl back to the native Slayer verse for some training in a less super-powered environment. She hadn't counted on stumbling across any other supernatural creatures around town.

And she certainly hadn't expected...well, the sparkles.

* * *

"Faith, get up - you're being rude," Dawn scolded - which probably would have been a little more effective if she wasn't battling her own battalion of giggles. She honestly couldn't help it though. It was just...just too ridiculous.

The self-confessed vampires in front of them obviously did not see the humour. The glares being directed on the Slayer and Dawn were a little hampered by the glittering of their faces though. Not to mention the matching baseball outfits.

Faith had taken one look at the picture and actually, physically fallen over she was laughing so hard. Dawn had a little more self control. Marginally.

"Um, so," she said, trying and failing to keep the mirth out of her tone. "Vegetarian vampires hey? How does that work?"

There were eight of them all up, though Dawn could tell just by glancing that one definitely wasn't a vampire. He was all big, dark and brooding. Dawn might have said hot except there was something exceedingly creepy about the way he was glued to the side of the kid of the group - a girl of about ten that had been frowning up at her with features very like the red-haired leader of the group and his vampire accessory girlfriend.

Speaking of red-haired leaders...

"We do not drink the blood of humans," he explained, eyes obviously going for dark and piercing but failing abysmally in Dawn's book. She HAD grown up around Spike and Angel after all. "We drink animal blood."

Dawn blinked as Faith howled anew from her position sprawled on the grass.

"And that's...do you know what vegetarian means?" Dawn asked. The glare she received in answer almost had her loose the laugh that was had been prodding at the back of her throat since she and Faith had stumbled upon the baseball game. They'd been about to hop the dimension when the unnatural thunder had started. Faith had been the curious one. And Dawn had a feeling the Slayer wasn't going to regret this particular excursion. Even Dawn had to admit that it was going to be one hell of a story at the next Slayers-counsel meeting.

"Right um..." Dawn began. "It that the reason for the ah...the skin condition?"

Seven pairs of eyes narrowed.

"Skin condition?" the red-head ventured. And while Dawn could obviously see he was going for his dangerous voice she just couldn't seem to keep a hold of any sort of real fear of him. That was about when Faith decided to join the conversation.

"You look like a friggin' disco ball Sparkle-pants!" the slayer said, very loudly and very obnoxiously. Dawn couldn't suppress her snort even as the brunette at the newly named Sparkle-pants' side surged forward.

"How dare you!" she cried. "This is the skin of a killer!"

And that was it, Dawn couldn't take it anymore. She started laughing and god she just couldn't stop. Not when a couple of the vampires, obviously having had enough of being laughed at, lunged for her. Not even when Faith proved Slayer strength was more than a match for sparkly-uber-vampires, spinning and tossing the group into trees, rocks and any other hard surface she could find. There was a slight pause when tall, dark and pedophile-y turned into a gigantic wolf and lunged at the dark Slayer but one kick with the force of a wrecking ball into a very sensitive area saw Dawn in stitches all over again.

All in all, as they strolled down the mountain-side and Faith declared the universe the "most hilarious reality EVER" Dawn really couldn't help but agree.


End file.
